‘Hospices are in retreat’: funding crisis squeezing UK palliative care providers

St Catherine’s hospice in West Sussex says it has been forced to leave beds empty despite the demand for end-of-life careAt the end of 2023, St Catherine’s hospice near Crawley, West Sussex, moved to a new purpose-built, state-of-the art building. Twenty-four private rooms with en suite bathrooms and French doors leading to individual terraces were designed to make the final days of a patient’s life as peaceful as possible. Medical equipment was concealed, beloved pets were wel